McLaren, Grier lift Sharks over Penguins

Nov 5, 2006 - 6:27 AM
SAN JOSE, California (Ticker) -- San Jose Sharks coach Ron
Wilson had to be thrilled to get big goals from a pair of
unlikely sources.

Defenseman Kyle McLaren and Mike Grier each scored to lift the
Sharks to a 3-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Grier scored the eventual game-winner just 33 seconds into the
third period. The right wing, who had only two goals this
season, skated in the slot and took a pass from Joe Thornton
from behind the net before beating Pittsburgh goaltender
Marc-Andre Fleury for a 3-1 lead.

Pittsburgh's Dominic Moore sliced the deficit to 3-2 when he
took a pass from John LeClair from behind the net and slid the
puck past San Jose netminder Vesa Toskala.

McLaren, who has only 40 goals in 606 career games, scored the
Sharks' first goal one minute into the second period when he
backhanded Thornton's rebound past Fleury.

Toskala finished with 25 saves and blue-liner Matt Carle scored
the other goal for the Sharks, who went 1-for-3 on the power
play.

Fleury recorded 31 stops and Michel Ouellet had the other tally
for the Penguins, who were blanked in six opportunities with the
extra man.

Pittsburgh rookie Evgeni Malkin, who became only the fourth
player in NHL history to score in his first six games, had three
shots but was held without a point.